Friday, March 29, 2013

“A Doll’s House,” Henrik Ibsen’s play about a
child wife coming to sudden maturity and walking out on her family, opened in
1879 and caused a sensation.

Almost 100
years later, Ingmar Bergman adapted this long-winded play into a tight drama, with
only the five major characters, and re-titled it “Nora.”By focusing on the heart of the relationships
and the erotic bond between men and women, this is no longer about women’s
equality but rather how much any one person, man or woman, is prepared to
sacrifice for love.

In this
Pacific Resident Theatre production the entire cast is superb.Jeanette Driver’s Nora, is a cheerful, loving
“girl” who before our eyes transforms into a woman demanding respect; Brad
Greenquist, as Torvald, shows us a husband who adores his wife but has not yet
realized she is only a dream; Bruce French, as family friend Dr. Rank, is a man
dying from loneliness; Martha Hackett, as Nora’s friend Mrs. Linde, portrays a
woman whose hard life has made her clear-eyed but not cynical, and Scott Conte,
as Krogstad, is especially poignant as a lawyer driven to crooked ways by
poverty and hopelessness.

Director Dana Jackson brings the
play to life by creating almost cinematic close-ups that illuminate each
character’s emotional reality, joy and pain.All the production values are simple: the set by William Wilday’s
suggests the period, as does costume design by Daniella Cartun. Lighting by
Noah Ulin, sound by Keith Stevenson and choreography by Elizabeth “Tiggy” McKenzie all serve the play
effectively. English translation is by Frederick J. and Lise-Lone Marker.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The past is always present in our lives and nowhere more so than in this
challenging play.

Lena,
a successful black playwright, is writing a play based on actual ex-slave
narratives taped in the 1930’s. Mostly in
their 90’s, they spoke in quavering voices, that often cracked, but with
memories firm and grief-filled.What it
was like to see family members dragged on to the auction block and sold like
cattle; how it felt to be at the mercy of a brutal drunken master; how casually
young women were used sexually and discarded; how a teenage boy in Africa was
lured on to a slave ship and enslaved.But
what significance can this have in our own time?Aren’t we past all that?Can’t love between black and white erase the
memories of past cruelty and betrayal?That
is the subject tackled by author Les Wieder and he faces it head-on.

In the play, Lena
is in love with David, who is white, and all her certainties about marriage and
commitment are thrown into confusion.Educated
like herself, David is a college professor who shares her passion for the evil
done in their shared past.But her
family forbids even dating out of her race, and her father, a preacher with
deep suspicion of all whites, is adamantly against inter-marriage.Her best friend Val, a peripatetic airline
stewardess, is not influenced by the past and, seeing that Lena
is in love, encourages her to go for it fully.But, haunted by the ex-slaves voices, Lena
feels she is betraying them in some deep way and struggles against her deeper feelings.In the end, it is up to her to accept or
reject the love offered and the voices are there to help her decide.

Inda
Craig-Galvan, as Lena, is totally believable in her struggle to understand what
she owes to the past; Dave Rosenberg, as David, is impressive as one who knows
what he wants and never falters; Danielle Lewis, as Val, is terrific as a sexy
gal who likes men of any color; Thomas Silcott portrays two of the ex-slaves
admirably, with dignity and humor, but it is as Rev. Walker, Lena’s father, that
he dominates the play as he fights to make clear his distinction between racial
prejudice and racial pride.As a number of
the Voices, RJ Farrington and Sharyn Michele are poignantly real as they share
their heartbreaking remembrances.

Under Malik B. El-Amin’s bold
direction what could have been an intellectual debate comes vibrantly to life.Finely detailed are the set by Terrell
Rodefer, costumes by Pat Payne and lighting by Erin J. Anderson.Produced by Sabah
El-Amin for Griot Theatre, 17500
Burbank Blvd, Encino, through April 14.Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com or (818)
703-7170.Info at www.GriotTheatre.org

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Author-director, Pavel Cerny,
originally conceived BELZ! as a reenactment of a Yiddish revue, then added the
story of young Hugo Schwartz (Andy Hirsch), who in 1918 leaves his home town of
Belz, Ukraine, to pursue his dream of
making people laugh.As Hugo goes from his
teens to old age we see the vaudeville routines that led to the successes of
many of our greatest comics.

Sure, the acts are corny, the performers
gauche, the story meandering and the classic Yiddish jokes groan-worthy, but
still Jewish cabaret had an irreverence that said – life is tough enough so
stop taking it so seriously.There is
zest for life here but, at 3 hours with intermission, the show is too long and
could be shortened by cutting out the blackouts and letting the action flow.

As Hugo, Andy Hirsch makes a
remarkable transition from an eager 18 year old to a star in vaudeville, to an
old trouper living with his memories. He is especially poignant in the scenes
of loss, and shows us that what gives Hugo the strength to go on is the expression
of his talent. Life happens, but laughter heals.

Notable among the large cast are
John Moscal as Hugo’s Papa; Ashley Taylor as his wife and Tom Lazur as his best
friend.Stasha Surdyke, sings
beautifully in Yiddish, Hungarian, Czech and German, while musical director,
Ait Fetterolf, doubles as Max, the onstage Piano Player.Hair and make-up by Marissa Maynes, costumes
by Travis Thi, and choreography by Sandy Simona Levitan aptly reveal the
changing styles and periods.

BELZ! is at the Whitefire Theatre,
Sherman Oaks, through May.Tickets:
(800) 838-3006 or (818) 986-2908 or www.brownpapertickets.com.

Every year right at the end of
summer five year old Esme goes to stay with her Nanna and Granddad, but this
year something is different… Nanna is gone. Grandad explains that she went to join the
circus because “even though she seemed like an ordinary woman…inside beat the
heart of a tightrope walker.”

So starts British author Mike
Kenny’s gentle play that works on two levels – a child’s adventure going to the
circus and an adult’s attempt to deal with loss.While the kids around me were laughing in
delight, the adults sat with tears welling.The children’s wonder in contrast to the adult’s awareness makes this
play an emotionally engaging experience. (Grandparents – take the kids!)

The biggest surprise is Paige
Lindsey White as five year old Esme, whose manner and body language creates the
illusion of a child; Mark Bramhall is moving as a stoic granddad frozen by
loss, and Tony Duran, as a clown, seems to float through time and space.Michael Redfield on keyboard provides atmospheric
music.

Playwright Ken LaZebnik dares to bring
us a love story between two young people “on the spectrum” of autism.Mac and Iris, both labeled “different,” meet
online and fall in love.The boy has
been coached by his mother into apparent normal behavior; the girl suffers from
repetitive mannerisms and uses a voice prompter to speak her typed words.When they meet, their difference is a world
they share, while their similarities make them kin.

The three actors are superb.As a young man with Aspergers, Dan Shaked is
totally believable; as his mother, Jeanie Hackett lets us see into her heart
with strong emotional force, and Virginia Newcomb is most impressive as a
desperate fluttering child trying to hold herself together while inside her
mind is as strong and clear as a bell.

Director Jacqueline Schultz handles
this difficult subject with no hint of condescension.Full wall videos by Jeffrey Elias Teeter
transport us from the flowers and palaces in Iris’ imagination to the harsh
screeching realty of a NY subway.Credits
to R. Christopher Stokes for lighting; Peter Bayne for sound; John Iacovelli
for scenic design, and Naila Aladdin Sanders for costumes.

“On The Spectrum” is playing
through April 28 at the Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave in Hollywood.Info: 323-663-1525 or www.fountaintheatre.com.

If you are among the few people who
have never seen the stage or screen “Dreamgirls,” here is a top-level revival
with a dynamic cast of 28 and a vibrant six-member band.
The late Michael Bennett, and playwright Tom
Eyen, clearly drew the inspiration for this show from the 1960’s Motown
phenomenon that forever changed the sound of popular music.It’s the story of three girls from Detroit –
oops, Chicago - trying to make it in show biz and the Machiavellian impresario who
makes them succeed beyond their wildest expectations.

In this show, the Berry Gordy character
comes off as devious and callous.He
manipulates the women in his “stable” by using sex/love as a come-on to make them
his stars.Apparently, Bennett
was sued for misrepresenting the true story but, since this is not a history
lesson, and it all happened over 40 years ago, my advice is to just sit back
and enjoy the show.

The entire cast is superb and
Constance Jewell Lopez, in the star-making role of Effie, doesn’t disappoint.She delivers her biggest and best number,
“I’m Not Going,” with such anguished power one is reminded of “Rose’s Turn” in “Gypsy”
for the impact it has on the audience.Another
favorite was Keith Arthur Bolden, as Jimmy “Thunder” Early, who stops the show
with his antics and stole nearly every scene he was in.

Also noteworthy among the excellent
cast were Welton Thomas Pitchford as the cold-hearted Curtis; Jennifer Colby
Talton as the gentle Deena; Tyra Dennis as Dreamgirl Lorrell; Lorenzo T. Hughes
as an honest business manager;Frank
Andrus Jr. as songwriter CC White, and Tiffany Williams as the 3rd
Dreamgirl.Paul Lange was a delight in
his tiny role as a Pat Boone clone.

Somehow, director Marco Gomez has
managed to pull back the solid MET walls to persuade us that we are in a
Broadway-size theatre, and producers Michael Abramson and Dolf Ramos have not
stinted on production values.The myriad
costumes by Michael Mullen are dazzling; the hair and wigs by Aja Morris-Smiley
are right on target; the choreography by Rae Toledo makes you want to dance
along; and the live band, led by musical director Chris Raymond on keyboard,
has you bouncing in your seat.

A DOMA Theatre production, “Dreamgirls”
is playing at The MET Theatre, 1089
N. Oxford Ave in Hollywood through May 5.Tickets at: (323) 802-4990 or www.domatheatre.com.

Review by Morna Murphy Martell,
former Broadway critic for The Hollywood Reporter.

About Me

Born in UK, started in theater as actress on Broadway then playwright/director in UK & the USA, Broadway Critic for The Hollywood Reporter in the 1980s. Artistic director at theatres in NY and Hollywood. Wrote musicals with ASCAP composer-lyricist husband, Ralph Martell, all produced in NY & California. For 10 years directed outdoor Shakespeare in Manhattan through NY Dept Cultural Affairs. Play HARRIET TUBMAN HERSELF starring Christine Dixon, now in its 9th year. Contest winner for plays in Okla, W, Virginia & Texas. Books CLASSICS 4 KIDS and SHAKESPEARE IN AN HOUR published by Shakespeare, Inc. AWARDS: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) playwriting grant; 5 grants for children's musicals and 8 NY/DCA for Shakespeare productions. Member DGA, AEA & LA Press Club. Lectures on "The Impact of Yiddish Theatre on American Theatre." Co-founder NY Women in Film & TV. Monthly theater column in NOT BORN YESTERDAY California senior paper. Email: dramatist2006@yahoo.com